FOEI PRINCIPLES FOR EU LEGISLATION TO EFFECTIVELY REGULATE CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS

Friends of the Earth International argues that EU legislation on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) must move beyond procedural 'box-ticking' to establish substantive obligations and strict liability for parent companies. The document demands that the law include criminal, civil, and administrative liability for companies and their decision-makers, reverse the burden of proof in legal claims, and ensure that EU national courts are accessible to affected people worldwide. It further asserts that EU law must complement a legally binding instrument at the UN (UN LBI) to eliminate corporate impunity and prioritize human rights over trade and investment agreements.

• The proposed EU directive on sustainable corporate governance is insufficient on its own to end corporate impunity and must be complemented by a legally binding instrument at the UN (UN LBI) to address transnational gaps.
• Due diligence should be treated as a substantive obligation of results rather than a procedural requirement, as simple process-based obligations do not guarantee the prevention of harm or the provision of remedies.
• The EU law should establish joint and several liability for parent and outsourcing companies for harms caused by themselves, their subsidiaries, and entities throughout their global value chains, regardless of whether due diligence was conducted.
• To improve access to justice for affected people in EU national courts, the legislation should reverse the burden of proof, allowing plaintiffs to choose the applicable law and access funds for legal expenses.
• The legislation must apply to all business enterprises regardless of size or sector, including public and private entities and financial institutions, and cover all human rights violations, climate impacts, and environmental harms.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). FOEI PRINCIPLES FOR EU LEGISLATION TO EFFECTIVELY REGULATE CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Principles-for-EU-legislation-to-effectively-regulate-corporations-throughout-their-global-value-chains.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. FOEI PRINCIPLES FOR EU LEGISLATION TO EFFECTIVELY REGULATE CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS. n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Principles-for-EU-legislation-to-effectively-regulate-corporations-throughout-their-global-value-chains.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=FOEI PRINCIPLES FOR EU LEGISLATION TO EFFECTIVELY REGULATE CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Principles-for-EU-legislation-to-effectively-regulate-corporations-throughout-their-global-value-chains.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternationalndfoei, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{FOEI PRINCIPLES FOR EU LEGISLATION TO EFFECTIVELY REGULATE CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Principles-for-EU-legislation-to-effectively-regulate-corporations-throughout-their-global-value-chains.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }